Warning: rambling thoughts ahead, but it's MY check in so I can do that right?!

So, last night me and my 19 year old daughter went clothes shopping...for me! Definitely not one of my most favorite activites. In fact, one of my least favorite. An activity that in the past has left me feeling down and out and extremely low about myself! I've been working on this the past few years. Just those full length mirrors on all sides and the light. Just ugh! I'm learning to tolerate it better and not allow the experience to leave me feeling so defeated and low as a human being! I had to fight back negative feelings last night. Feelings that I need to get on some quick diet and take care of things pronto, feelings that I am getting old! (I am 47 and have noticed wrinkles and sags the last few years that were never there before......feeling that I am looking older than 47) I had a GREAT time with my girl...such a great time!! But, these ugly feelings did creep in occasionally. I did find a few things that I think look nice on me.

Last evening before going to bed I got on facebook for a quick look. My daughter had posted the SWEETEST post about me and what I have meant to the person she is today. It was a tear jerker for me. She sees me as beautiful. She truly does!! And she was there witnessing me in those full length mirrors and she sees me as beautiful. And then this morning something else came to my mind. A conversation I heard at church on Sunday. Someone said to one of our older ladies...she is in her 80's. "Miss R....you are just beautiful. You know that? You haven't changed a bit since the day I met you"...Her reply "It's about beauty on the insde" SO TRUE!!!

And then this morning I read a blog post about this very topic. Psalm 45:11 says, "The king is enthralled by your beauty"....ENTHRALLED by my beauty!

The author of the blog, Jennifer Dukes Lee, put it very well. She said

"So I vowed a better way, to see myself whole. I said it like a pledge, and sometimes I have to repeat: I am lovely and brave and crooked and banged-up and beautiful, and, yes, rounder than I used to be. I am wrinkly and stray-grayed and goofy-smiley and courageous and scarred and gutsy enough to make babies. "

I need to see myself as beautiful NOW....TODAY!!

And, I am outta time. Gotta scoot. ...._________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Great post, ZippaDee! Sometimes we're so worried about how other people see us that we don't realize how other people see us. As a wonderful mother. As a valuable contributor to the community. As a inperfect like everyone else human being.

Hi All!
Glad my last post was an encouragement to you. I need to go back and re-read as necessary. I am under some stress here. Did not sleep well at all last night. arrrgh! This always happens when I begin to feel stress....just can't sleep! I'm working on just giving it to God. I really need to be able to do that!! Also want to be conscious of the stress and NOT eat it away. Fact is everything will still be there after I eat. Eating doesn't take away any of it!

I have a VERY full day ahead. It will be going full steam here in about 50 minutes until about 10 tonight. FULL steam! Sleep would have been good. Perhaps tonight. Let's hope!

Happy Friday everyone!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Thanks for the encouragement BS! Been doing better at putting my stress in the right perspective this week! It's still there, but I am managing it better. Sleeping better and I am not attempting to eat it away. Yay me! Have noticed the past few days that my pants are looser...more comfy!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Zip, I read your comment about shopping with your daughter. I want you to know that you are not alone in those feelings. Last year I went through an exercise that helped me a lot. I wrote down all the lies I tell myself on a regular basis and then I found scriptures that told me the TRUTH. I put them in the notes on my phone and each time the lies would bubble up, I would look at those notes and remember them for what they really are LIES! One of those lies is that I'm not good enough because of my weight, looks, etc., but the TRUTH is found in 1 Samuel 16:7.
I'm so glad you are reminding yourself that your are beautiful. I know i get stuck there too, but it tryly is not about the outward appearance, but it is about the heart!

Have been struggling so far this summer! Super busy times. BUT, my busyness should have no affect on this very simple way of eating right?! I just need to get my groove back. Starting with one day....TODAY! One day can begin a groove right?

GO _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I have been here a long time. I have had MANY "start overs" on No S. I have been looking back over my check-in thread over the past few days and doing some thinking. I am a perfectionist by nature......perhaps not by nature, but actually was taught to be a perfectionist. I remember brining home my first B+ on a report card and my mother going to talk to the teacher about it. She was angry that this teacher ruined my straight A streak. When I was 18 years old I dieted my way to the "perfect" weight. 120 was not good enough, I needed to be 105. I'm a list maker. Making a list and checking off the list as I go gives me a sense of accomplishment. I feel "successful" and "good" when I can do this. There are many other areas in my life where I have had a tendancy towards this "perfection".

Over the years I have learned to let this perfectionist attitude go in many areas of my life. Kids will do that to ya! Ha! I really do not consider myself a perfectionist at all anymore. Most folks would describe me as a very laid back, even keel kind of gal. But, I have been thinking of this perfectionist attitude and how it pertains to my journey with No S. I believe I am hanging onto some of this attitude where this journey is concerned. When I join a monthly challenge on this board you will see me happily posting my green days all in a row. You will never see red days mixed in with my green ..........NOT because I don't have red days, obviously I DO, but I just don't come back to the challenge when I have them. I consider myself out of the challenge when I FAIL! I just quit the challenge. Going back through my daily thread here I like to count my green streaks. I count and then "wreck the car" when I break the streak. I’ve always thought that it helps keep me on track to count because I don’t want to break my streak. The problem comes in when I DO break the streak….because eventually I WILL because guess what? I’m not perfect!! Obviously I want…and strive for green days! But, what I need to work on is getting back on track as soon as I slip!

All of that to say that I am going to stop counting green days……..Day one, day two, day three, etc. I will report green days, but not streaks of days in a row. I have decided to go ahead and continue using my habitcal so that I can see trends. But, am aware and making the effort not to allow slip ups to wreck my car!!!

Perhaps I need to stay away from monthly challenges as well. Still thinking on that one?!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I have been here a long time. I have had MANY "start overs" on No S. I have been looking back over my check-in thread over the past few days and doing some thinking. I am a perfectionist by nature......perhaps not by nature, but actually was taught to be a perfectionist. I remember brining home my first B+ on a report card and my mother going to talk to the teacher about it. She was angry that this teacher ruined my straight A streak. When I was 18 years old I dieted my way to the "perfect" weight. 120 was not good enough, I needed to be 105. I'm a list maker. Making a list and checking off the list as I go gives me a sense of accomplishment. I feel "successful" and "good" when I can do this. There are many other areas in my life where I have had a tendancy towards this "perfection".

Oh, wow, ZippaDee, you are SO me. I think I'll try that "report green days, but not streaks" approach, too. Thanks!_________________There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today.

I'm still here and committed to No S. My Mom has now lost 25 lbs on weight watchers and my sister just joined weight watchers last night. My Mom and sister are my two closest friends in the world. I hope weight watchers works for them, but I'm not going there!! I'm sticking with developing habits that will last me a lifetime!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I began detasseling corn today. This is totally new for me. My kids have been doing it for a long time. I am a school employee, so have my summers off. Anyway, corn detasseling will be very challenging for me physically. I'm looking forward to it. I survived today! Yay Me!

My daughter is getting married in THREE weeks! _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Today was GREEN! It was hard faught, but I hung onto the fact that the more green days I hava the easier it will be to keep my days green. It's a very busy time in my life. I am just focusing on keeping my No S s green right now!!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

So, here is my list of reasons that I want to lose weight ..most important being at the top of the list.
1. I will FEEL lighter emotionally!!! This will not come because of a specific # on the scale, but as a result of doing. The joy is in the journey.

2. Increased confidence!

3. I will FEEL better physically!

4. Increased energy!

5. More comfortable in my clothes--less tugging and pulling...more confident.

6. I will enjoy my time on teh beach and in the pool more FREELY! Less worries about bathing suit = more carefree FUN!

7. My cholesterol #'s should improve.

8. Leg flab should improve.

9. Better health overall.

10. Energy for FUN with future grandbabies!

11. Less focus on HOW to lose weight and more focus on LIVING life!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Ok, last week was our first week of school. So back to work and back to No S. Things went great last week. All GREEN!

I'm feeling good. Feels SOOO good to be eating this way again! I was so tired by the end of the week last week! Back to the grind of work. I have three kiddos in sports as well. Plus one that is having to go to a chiro everyday right now. Whew! I will adjust!

Happy Monday everyone!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I started back Sept 1. So I am on day 12 today. I'm feeling good. I just feel so much better when I eat like this. Don't know WHY I ever get off track. It's the mystery question. Been so terribly HOT here the past two days. Miserable in the classroom!! Today should be MUCH better!

And I'm off.....to the races! _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Today is my 48th birthday. My gift to myself.....the gift of exercise! I feel so much better when I do it. It boils down to just gettin' er done! So, I started out my 49th year with a 30 minute bike ride. Outdoor exercise is my favorite!

Also recommiting to Vanilla No S. Paying speical interest to the "sometimes" on S Days.

I weighed myself this morning. And plan to weigh in on the first Saturday of every month.

HABIT, HABIT, HABIT!!! This is my focus of the year!

JUST DO IT!!

I need to rack up some green days. Every green day will reinforce the habit. Gotta stay GREEN!!!!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Hooray, happy birthday Zippadee great plan to commit to exercise - outdoor my favourite too, also has so many other benefits in overall happiness and health. Good luck with your greens. You can do it
Tessy_________________Starting again and hoping this time to succeed. Starting weight 31/12/16 is 210lbs, hoping to lose 10% = 21lbs ( or 1stone 7lbs).

Happy belated birthday! You're a year and a half older than I am. I see you're also shooting for 21. Let's do this habit thing! Join my challenge so we can cheer on each other!_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Hiya Reneew!!! I'm on it..the challenge that is! And YES...habit, habit, habit!! That is what I am after!

Decided to go ahead and start my 21 day challenge on Saturday instead of Monday. So today was day 5 and it was GREEN!

I didn't get any exercise in today. Have honestly not had time. I have these days sometimes. I would like to eventually start getting up early and riding my exercise bike before work. That would mean a 5 am wake up for me. One thing at a time. Plan on a bike ride after school tomorrow. My son is wanting to go with me!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Wow, 10 days and counting! You are awesome! I am going to grab your tigers tail and try to follow!! Bike rides sound great too. Keep going I am rooting for you
Tessy_________________Starting again and hoping this time to succeed. Starting weight 31/12/16 is 210lbs, hoping to lose 10% = 21lbs ( or 1stone 7lbs).

Had a very busy day yesterday and a good NoS day going....until.....about 8:30 or so. My son had a football game last night. At the end of the game folks from the concession stand came around giving away popcorn. My husband took one. Popcorn is one of my all time favorite snacks. I just love it! Anyway, the rest is history. Not gonna wreck the train over a bit of popcorn though. Mark it and move on. Starting my 21 days over though...and I was on day 13! BOO! Oh well....

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I have been at this NoS thing on and off for several years! I was just reading over my old check ins here. Sometimes my old self inspires my current self. LOL! I needed this pep talk from myself that I have quoted below. It is from Dec. 2010. I was on a roll back then! I also realized that Tobiasmom and I have been at this thing together for a long time now! WE CAN DO THIS GIRL!!!! We are both still here! That's says something!

Quote:

Enjoying this holiday season immensely!!! I work at an elementary school so I have two weeks off..along with the kids. It's been sooo nice! I did decide to make Christmas Eve an S Day. I enjoyed all the goodies over the holiday and was able to get right back to my regular N days on Monday. I really think I'm onto something here. This program is so sane and so simple. It's not a "diet" for me...it really feels different. It's a lifestyle change. I've been reading some weight loss blogs over my break. I've come across three blogs of folks that are "throwing in the towel" so to speak. They are quitting their weight loss blogs and want to move away from the "diet" mentality....onto "fat acceptance" It's because they have been white knuckling it for so long and they just can't do it any more. These restrictive programs are just not doable long term.....well, not for most folks....not for me! This is about so much more than a number on a scale for me!! This is about my quality of life. This is about me as a person...mind, body, and soul! I want to nurture my whole being and NoS is helping me do that. Yes, the number on the scale needs to go down...and it is!...but, it's not my focus! The food is not my focus. Calories, points, fat grams, carbs are not my focus. My life is my focus! My health, my attitude, my energy, how I FEEL....not so much what I look like. I feel free to live my life.......to get on with it....to be healthy and happy. The scale is going down, but I'm not possessed with it. It's a wonderful place to be! Thank you Reinhard!

_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Oh, my! You and I are exactly the same! this crazy cycle we go through with our minds...oh, my goodness! If WE would have just lost 1 pound a month since 2010 when we first started.....well, we wouldn't be complaining, that's for sure!! We need to learn to be ok with that number and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

You and I are going to DO this thing once and for all to be that example to all the people here that yo-yo and don't click with this immediately! This is a lifetime journey. I don't know about you, but I continue to learn more and more about myself through this process. So although it's frustrating, maybe it's just necessary to get to that end goal!

You and I are going to DO this thing once and for all to be that example to all the people here that yo-yo and don't click with this immediately! This is a lifetime journey. I don't know about you, but I continue to learn more and more about myself through this process. So although it's frustrating, maybe it's just necessary to get to that end goal!

YES!!!! I am NOT giving up! And I agree....I AM learning about myself and I AM paying attention! I sure do like to complicate things!

I want this to be about the habit, but I find myself trying to focus on habit, but at the same time white knuckling it to try to prove to myself that developing the habit works.....ie I will lose weight. So, I keep my eye on the scale to prove so. I want to really make this about the habit.

Sooooooo, I plan on reporting in here where sucess will be determined by GREEN days. No matter what my weight I will consider myself successful by staying green. In the past I have done monthly weigh ins here. No more! My monthly weigh ins will be replaced by monthly check ins as to how many greens and how many reds I had for the week. That's it. I will report in on my weight a year from now around my birthday Oct. 5.

I'm not saying I will not weigh here at home, but I hope to be able to limit that. Will not talk weight here for a year though! I just want this to be about habit, habit, habit!!!

I am also going to work on developing the exercise habit. 30 minutes at least 5 day a week. With exercise I'm not fussy about what days of the week....just five!

I FEEL so much better when I am doing vanilla NoS and exercising! Not going to allow my weight to sabotage that because I am not patient enough!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Good day today!! on eating and exercise. I rode my exercise bike for 30 minutes.
Time for some shut eye!
Onward! _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Had a good day today. A busy day. Turned down desert at the football banquet tonight. No time for exercise today, but will get it in tomorrow!!

New start date 11/11. I can remember that.
Current weight 199.
I am 5 pounds lighter than I was in Oct. 2010...the first time I started NoS. It's ok! I am a work in progress!!!
Will not check in here with my weight again until next year at this time. My success for the next year will be based on recording my green days!!
HABIT, HABIT, HABIT!!!!!!

I KNOW this works. I need to just DO IT!!! Consistently one day at a time!!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Yes, I heard that on the radio yesterday morning, automatedeating! I guess there were a lot of weddings yesterday because of the date! Cool!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Another GREEN day yesterday! Not able to get any exercise in yesterday though. Literally did not stop until 10 pm last night and that is my bedtime. That is one thing that did stick for me back in 2010 the first time I did NoS. I committed to descent sleep, which was extremely lacking for me back then. So, I really try to hit the hay by 10 each evening. Have been toying with this sleep vs exercise thing.Which is more important? It seems the only time I get exercise in consistently is when I get up and do it before work. Hmmmm? My alarm goes off at 5:15, but lately I have gotten into the habit of not crawling out of bed until 6, which is when I must wake the kids. Maybe if I actually got out of bed at 5:15 and got on my exercise bike that would work! Hmmm?

Scratchy throat and headache this morning. Started on my vitamin C's.

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I SO relate to this question--which is more important, sleep or exercise? I have had almost the exact dilemma that you described.

I tried so many health clubs (3 different ones over different years) thinking I'd find a way to motivate my tired mommy body to get up at 5 and exercise before work.

I finally decided that I just won't consistently be able to get up that early.... and sleep is more important when we are currently sleep-deprived. So, I walk to work, which takes 45 minutes but means I don't have to leave the house until 6:45. When I exercised at the gym, I had to leave the house by 5:45. That was just not sustainable for me. I've kept it up for 9 weeks now. Not super long, but some of my "gym stints" didn't even last this long!!_________________Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3; 8/14-24.5; 5/15-26.2; 1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6; 8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9; 3/18-25.6
Goal: 130/23.8

Maybe you could do 5-10mins in the morn, again on your lunch break and then again right before bed? Even if you only manage to get in a couple of sessions it's better than nothing. Just a thought as I hate to see you give up your good sleep habits. Sleep is so important psychologically and physically.

Either way you're doing great. Keep it up!

Linda_________________"Above all, be the heroine of your life and not the victim.” Nora Ephron

Automatedeating, what an awesome idea to walk to and from work! Good for you! That must be refreshing to do everyday! I love outdoor exercise! Unfortunately that won't fit into my schedule here because of time and distance to work.

Lpearlmom, interesting idea....this 10 minutes at a time. This may work for me! Thanks!

Eating was GREEN today! Good day! sore throat not any better. Pluggin' away.

Going to begin reading the No S book again. Going to curl up and start on that right now!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

My S days went very smoothly this weekend. Did my normal grocery shopping on Saturday morning where I normally fill my cart with some snacks to enjoy on my S days. The desire just wasn't there to do that this weekend. I left without any real treats. I did enjoy a hot chocolate that morning at my daughter's basketball game. And, some dessert at the potluck on church on Sunday. It just wasn't an over the top weekend as it has been sometimes in the past. It wasn't because I wasn't allowing myself, but because I just did not have the desire. I had what I wanted!

Didn't go to work today. No school due to power outages. Winds were crazy here yesterday. Have enjoyed the day with the kids today. Just a restful day. Nice!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Sounds like a nice weekend. Glad to see its possible to not want to go through the kitchen like PAC man eating everything in sight!! Keep up the good work._________________I am training for a marathon, not a sprint!
Start weight 179
Dec 17 2013..177.8

Thanks "keep on going"!
Good day today. So, a plus to having been at this for so long on and off is that I AM finding it easier to jump back into this. That means that all my past efforts have not been for nothing. I am always learning....even through the failures and the stops and starts. It IS about the journey and not the destination!
ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Good GREEN day yesterday! Had our "Thanksgiving Feast" at school/work yesterday. I was able to say "no" to the pumpkin cake (which is one of my favorites by the way). My co-workers questioned why I was not eating it because they said "it was to die for". I just told them that I was trying to stay away from sweet during the week. That worked. Ha! I find it better not to talk to a lot of folks about what I am doing....for now at least!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

"I find it better not to talk to a lot of folks about what I am doing....for now at least!"

Me, too, Zippadee! Amazing job on the pumpkin cake! Multiple Thanksgivings make things a little harder, but you really held out!_________________"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

Still around. Struggled over the holidays. My Mom, my sister, my brother and my sister-in-law are all on weight watchers now. I've had the tug once again to go there! But, here I am!! I KNOW I can not maintain all the counting, weighing and measuring long term! And, I just don't want to!

The past couple of years I have been picking a word for the year instead of resolutions. This year my word is LIGHTHEARTED! The goal as far as food/weight is concerned is to get my focus OFF of the food and onto my behavior and living life! It needs to be as simple as possible. But, as is evidenced by the length of time I have been working on this I KNOW that simple does NOT mean easy!!

Exercise helps keep the stress away and increase my ability to feel lighthearted and enjoy life.

Yesterday was GREEN! Doin' a happy jig! I needed that badly. I also got in thirty minutes of exercise on my exercise bike. Exercise is the best stress reliever for me! So, because it will help me bring "lightheartedness" into my life my goal is to get in some everyday!

The reason I chose lighthearted for my word of the year is that over the past year I have been feeling kind of in a rut ya know? Same ole, same ole. I too often feel like I am whiteknuckling it in several areas. Just muddling through intstead of enjoying life. Even with my kids I get too wrapped up in doing the right thing and raising them right that I forget to enjoy them!!! I also had a bit of a health scare at the end of last year which turned out to be nothing. I "tried" to not worry about it, but apparently did not do a good job of that because I ended up having an anxiety attack which I have never EVER had an issue with before. Arrrrgh! So, for all those reasons my desire to be more lighthearted!

Lighthearted: Not being burdened by trouble, worry or care; happy and carefree.

My Verse: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving , present your requests to God. And the peace which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Phil. 4:6~

I have always loved cooking and baking. And even there I have kind of gotten into a rut. So, I have decided to lighten my mood and bring some fun into my life I will try one new recipe a week. Today is my day for that....chicken fajitas in the crock pot for tonight.

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

The chicken fajitas last night were a hit with the whole family! I had a student bring in one of my favorite treats yesterday...puppy chow. I did NOT partake. And my 5th grader brought home a whole box of candy bars he is selling for a fund raiser. Oh my. I am taking them into my building to try to sell some for him today. I CAN do this!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Your post reminded me that EVERY year when I was supposed to sell those big candy bars for my school I would end up eating a bunch of them and then have to use my own allowance to pay for them. I definitely wouldn't be able to keep those around._________________Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3; 8/14-24.5; 5/15-26.2; 1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6; 8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9; 3/18-25.6
Goal: 130/23.8

Exactly...automatedeating! Our family usually buys a big portion of these candy bars ourselves whenever we have to do these kind of fundraisers. I think they are going to be a hit in my building because we are not selling them there. So, hopefully I can help out my guy by selling them there!

Day 3 was GREEN, but it was with a LOT of effort yesterday! I had a doctor's appointment with a new doc right after school yesterday. I have had my current doc for the past 17 years and have not been happy for several years. I was not happy with how this health scare was handled in Dec. It was the straw that broke the camels back. So, a new primary care doc for me! She is a DO instead of an MD. I really liked her.....after just one visit. She is doing a bunch of routine blood work on me just to check things out good, which is a good thing! They weighed me with all my garb on....longsleeve turtle neck underneath a thick sweater and winter coat and winter boots (it's cold here! lol). I weighed 7 lbs more on her scale with all that garb on than I do here at home naked. Ha! BLECK!! The number is not pretty at ALL!! It's not pretty at home and 7 lbs more is definitely not pretty! She did not talk to me about my weight, but she wrote the dreaded word "obesity" on my paperwork though. I already know it, but I just hate to see it ya know?

So, on the way home diet mentality started playing with me. My sister called me on the way home...the one that is doing ww....sigh....My thoughts "maybe I should be doing ww, so I can get this weight off more quickly" I need to figure out HOW to stop these wishy washy thoughts that keep bombarding me!

No work today because of the weather. Baby it's cold outside!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Those candy bar fundraisers were a huge danger for me when I worked in an office setting -- always there when your resistance was lowest! You will sell them all, ZippaDee -- just put them far away from your desk! _________________"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

Feeling more stable and lighthearted about things this evening. No school today because of the weather. Went into town and spent some time with my oldest. We had lunch and did
our grocery shopping together. Fun day! Even bought a fun new red winter hat for myself to keep my ears warm! Its what Winnie the Pooh would call a blustery day. Whew is that wind invigorating!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Good Afternoon from snowy Michigan! Our county is under a snow emergency, which means no one allowed on the roads except emergency personnel. So, another no school day. What a winter we are having. I had a good weekend. Enjoyed my S Days. I listened to a couple of the podcasts. So good...especially the one on strictness. No Sweets. No Snacks. No Seconds. Period. That is IT.....no matter what. If I mess up Mark it and Move On. And, my goal is to stick with that. My goal is my behavior....not the results.

Going to eat some lunch, do a bit of cleaning, bundle up tight and head out to play in the snow. These kids need to GET OUT and run off some energy!!!

ONWARD>>_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

We're having similar weather, ZippaDee -- have you ever seen snowballs rolled by the wind? We woke up to thousands of them here, everybody's yard is filled with lovely big snowballs! Evidently it's a rare arctic effect --

"My goal is my behavior, not my results!" Love this!_________________"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

Wow! No, I have never seen that. Awesome!!! I have seen pictures of ice balls like this one Lake Michigan. Take lots of pictures! _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Well, no school again today and they have already cancelled for tomorrow as well. I have not been to school since last Thursday. Wow! We are having quite the winter. I was afraid that all this time at home would be difficult for me food wise, but so far so good. Yesterday was green as well as today. My house is looking pretty good too. Lots of time to clean. We went outside for a bit yesterday, but today was just too bitterly cold to go out. -30 wind chill. Today put us over our alloted days. So, from now on we will have to make up any days that we are off.

The down time has been nice. All practices and games are cancelled for the kids as well. We are just hanging out enjoying each other.

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Our schools reopened today with a 2-hour delay -- a few days off give you a glimpse of a whole different way of life, don't they? Glad you all are enjoying it!

I ended up staying home Wednesday anyway -- it was still below zero and there was still no heat in my office! Back today, with two space heaters blasting -- part of my job involves tracking rents and I can't do that from home! I loved it, though, and so did the dogs!_________________"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

Good Morning!!
I missed a few days here, but all is well and I have stayed GREEN Life is back to semi-normal. Going to school, working, basketball, Daddy/Daughter Dance, church, cars breaking down and getting stuck, etc. etc. Life is good! We had some heavy wet snow over the weekend. The kind you can really get out and play in. It was warm enough to be outside and the snow packs up nice. It was raining IN the house when we got home from church yesterday morning. Not good. Happening due to ice damming up on our roof. argh! So, we got up there with a hose and hot water and fixed it for now! Whew!!

I'm feeling lighter now that I have a few days of good No Sing under my belt. I think today will be day 14. Yay!! Feels good! And my weekend was not over the top.

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Good Morning All!
Another snow day here, so I have time to pop in this morning. Things are going pretty well. I'm staying green. Today is day 29 with No Reds!

I've been asking myself the question when it comes to food and my choices....on S Days and NoS Days...."how much do I...or will I... enjoy this?" I'm learning that some things that I thought were enjoyable really are not all that enjoyable after all and some things are!

things I don't enjoy as much as I thought I did...the chocolate candy bars that my son is selling for his school fund raiser. They have been in the house for weeks now and I've eaten one on an S Day and decided that I really didn't enjoy it all that much. Pop....naaa...not overly enjoyable either. Interesting that it is actually just the idea of it that is enjoyable, but in reality it's not so much. Cake is another thing that is not overly enjoyable for me.

I'm coming up to my one month mark and am going to add in exercise this month. Am thinking about getting the Spark Activity Tracker to help me with this.

ONWARD_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

So inspired by all that GREEN! I took a nosedive into Weight Watchers land yet again..... and am of course back to reality over here. A friend of mine wanted to do WW with me... so I tried. But it's just not for me in this season of my life. No-S it is!!!

I love your list of things you DON'T enjoy all that much -- pop, cake, run-of-the-mill chocolate bars -- me, too! Do they become more attractive when they are forbidden? Maybe temporarily, but the great thing about No S is we have the opportunity to get over expecting to enjoy them and concentrate instead on the cuties and Lindt truffles that really do satisfy!_________________"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

What a brilliant way to think about S days. You are so right, eating any old thing is not the way to go, discernment and taking time to sort out what delights you and what disappoints you is really worth while.
Nearly a month with no fails. You are such a star. _________________Starting again and hoping this time to succeed. Starting weight 31/12/16 is 210lbs, hoping to lose 10% = 21lbs ( or 1stone 7lbs).

So, I have been at this for a month now and it's getting easier. The first couple weeks I often felt like I was white knuckling it. Not so much anymore! Yay. I still have my moments, but not as often and not as difficult. Yesterday at work I was oftered cherry crisp. Oh my!! It was not an S day so "No thanks!" Whew. It was that simple, but not easy. We have been going to a LOT of basketball games this past month. Both of my boys play. Have I mentioned that popcorn is on my list of foods I enjoy. In the beginning saying NO to the popcorn at basketball games was very difficult. It is much easier now! Yesterday my hubby had popcorn and I was offered a free bag at the end of the game. "no thanks" it's ok. It really is.

I really like what eschano is doing with her "looking after me" effort. In my effort to be more "lighthearted" this year I am going to do this too. Be more aware of how I can be more lighthearted by making an effort to do at least one thing that leads me to feel lighter.

I weighed today since it's been a month. I am down 6.2 pounds. Nice! Focus on behavior and habit habit habit and results will follow. Feeling calm and relaxed and at peace. ahhhhhhh!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

I think I had a similar post to yours about realizing what I "like" and what I was eating because it was there. It's kind of fun to start having strong preferences about our food.

I've got to ask--since you've been a member since 2008--how long have you stuck with NoS at one go? And, if I am assuming correctly that you have made it to one month before, have you had similar epiphanies before that you then forgot or they slipped away? I have a lot of curiosity about the science of compliance, not just with NoS but with other habit-building, so I would appreciate any thoughts you have on this topic.

Has your weight gone up and down on NoS over the years? In other words, do people yo-yo diet with NoS just like any other diet?_________________Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3; 8/14-24.5; 5/15-26.2; 1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6; 8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9; 3/18-25.6
Goal: 130/23.8

automated, The answer for me is a resounding YES....you can and I have "yo you dieted" on the No S diet just like any other diet. I hate to call No S a "diet" because it feels so much different to me than Weight Watchers...the only other diet I have ever committed to. And, I think it takes WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY longer than 21 days to build a new habit. For me I KNOW I will have to stay alert and aware of this habit the rest of my lifetime. If I am not continually alert and aware my old habits that have been with me so much longer than the new one will come crashing back in. I have proved that to myself! At this point I guess if I live to be 96 I could say that the No S lifestyle is not my "new" habit anymore because at that point I will have stuck with it more than half my life. Until then I will have to continue to work on this at some level. YES, it will get easier and more natural, but it is SO easy to slip back into what we have done for all of our lives! Old habits are DIFFICULT to break!!! The No S diet is simple, but not easy. It is it's simplicity that makes it doable though!

I am fooling myself to think that I could possibly count points and measure and weigh food for the REST OF MY LIFE, which is what I would HAVE TO DO to be successful on a program like Weight Watchers. Even if I could possibly do such a thing for the REST OF MY LIFE it would be a miserable life. I have to be logical and choose something that I can literally see myself doing FOREVER because forever it what it takes. This is what brings me here. The No S Lifestyle feels natural and good. Something I could really stick to forever. As you can see from this thread though it takes EFFORT and TIME and perhaps MANY restarts to truly develop and new forever habit in our lives!

I have been a member of this board since 2008, but I was just in the "thinking and reading" phase for a few years before I gave this a real go. I have had two good tries at this lifestyle. This current one is my 3rd true attempt.

As you can see my starting weights everytime are almost exactly the same. True yo yo-ing. Apparently that number scares me...prompting me to do something. I have and continue to explore WHY I get off track. But, in between these "No S stints" I have completely gone back to my old habits, which causes the weight to come back on. It is a gradual thing....but eventually I am just right back where I started. I think what is key for me is that my S Days need to gradually look less like what my "normal everyday" used to look like. My S Days need to gradually look like my N Days with a few extra treats.....because if S Days are wild they feel very much like my old habits and I can easily slip back into my old way of doing things everyday.

I do NOT beat myself up over these past "failed" attempts. I am a work in progress. I obviously needed these to learn more about myself in order to eventually get this! I will have to say that this time it has been easier to get back into the habit because I HAVE learned a few things in my previous attempts! As far as epiphanies.....some new, some different I guess. If you don't keep practicing things everyday they slip away quickly....and become new again for you when you discover them again. 8 months and 6 months is not a long time in the scheme of a 48 year old life. I need more practice!!! It's all about TIME ON HABIT. I will have to say that my focus has changed since Oct. 2010. I am MUCH more focused on my habit and behavior this time and less on the scale. HABIT is where It is at. For this to work I really need to just develop this habit over time...continually plugging away at it day after day after day after day. My first goal is to still be here pluggin away in Jan. 2015!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Zippadee, Wow! What a terrific, insightful, and helpful post. I think everyone should read it. Thank you so much for sharing.

Now I have another question (when I was a little kid, my whole family would roll their eyes at my incessant questions!): What caused you to stop (or drift away) from your NoS habits the first two attempts? From your post, I am guessing a couple things: 1) focus on weight rather than habit made the slow progress discouraging -- although 26 pounds and 16 pounds is significant weight loss; or 2) Your S Days were so wild that they started spilling over onto N Days (rather than N Day habits spilling over onto S days, as we all hope to see!). Were these reasons for stopping NoS? Or are there other things?

BTW, NoSnacker is on attempt #3 and she says she feels so different this time! She feels committed to HABIT (as you say), and seems to feel empowered, capable and even ... content ... on NoS. I can't remember if you and she have been sharing on each other's threads, but she is encouraging, just like you.

I have a third guess -- you got down to a comfortable weight for you (180-ish) and stopped "dieting" -- i.e. paying attention. I could so see this happening to me, and at that weight as well! What a helpful, honest post!_________________"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

I know for me I hit a low-weight that scares me into failing. It's literally a bit of "if I hit this weight and I am still not XXX (insert whatever fantasy I had about being successful/loved...) it means I can't blame my weight anymore. However, now that I'm aware it's become much easier.

This mightened be what triggers you at all but just thought I'd share in case it is.

However, it's just internalised fear. Habit is way more powerful, especially the habit of looking after ourselves and of being lighthearted. We can do this!_________________eschano - Vanilla rocks!

Hi ZippaDee. At last got a moment to read your thread. So wise!! Thank you for your honesty. I feel this way too, old habits are very very hard to break. But I feel in the background I am changing my default position and noS is becoming my return to point. That seems like yoyoing but it is a much healthier default than deprivation and calorie counting. thanks_________________Starting again and hoping this time to succeed. Starting weight 31/12/16 is 210lbs, hoping to lose 10% = 21lbs ( or 1stone 7lbs).

Thanks for the encouragement ladies!! Sorry it has taken me a while to get back here! Things continue to go well! I'm staying green! Trying so fervently to keep my eyes wide open because I know things can turn like a dime.

So this question:

Quote:

What caused you to stop (or drift away) from your NoS habits the first two attempts?

I know it was NOT my distress over slow progress because I was very happy with my progress. Perhaps a little too happy and comfortable! Change in routine is hard for me. So, since I work in a school I am off for the summer. This change is difficlut.....just a different routine. Being home all day long around food and kids. And, as I said....I get down to a certain weight and it feels good and I relax and stop paying attention as jw said. People start noticing...and I think..."oh I'm looking good"...kind of the "I have arrived" attitude plays into it. And one slip turns into another and another and another until I am totally off agian. It's not really binging for me.....just poor choices begin to creep back in. And, before you know it I am right back to my old habits.

Must ALWAYS keep eyes wide open!

ONWARD _________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Thank you for sharing that ZippaDee, it's a very valuable post. Would you mind if I started a thread in the General Discussion about What makes people slip and copy this over?_________________eschano - Vanilla rocks!

Hey! It's me..ZippaDee. Yes, I'm still around. It's *almost* embarrassing to put that "fresh start" in my siggy line.....*almost* because well, this is probably my umpteenth or so fresh start! It is NOT embarrassing though because well it's better than the alternative right? which would be not restarting and giving up! As my location says I am in the NO QUIT zone! So I am digging in my heals and doing this thing. Summers are so difficlut for me when it comes to No S. Home all day with the food and the kids yada yada yada. I've said it all here before. Buuuut I'm back and that is that. Done talking about the past and moving

ONWARD

I've had several green day here in a row. YES! Step, step, step...one at a time. Off we go...._________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Welcome back! A fresh start is wonderful, especially when you have to figure out a new routine. Re-starting is much easier than starting, so I think you're starting ahead of the game. Looking forward to being in the no quit zone with ya!

Thank you so very much for thinking of me!!! It has not.been going well, but YES I am ready for a NEW fresh start. Ready, Set, GO!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Hope you stay with it through the holidays and beyond. Keep thinking of what it will be like to hit New Year's Day knowing you ate moderately. There is really very little real pleasure we miss out on when we stick to it. N days allow for so much wonderful savory food!

I'm looking to rejuvenate my efforts as well after a several months a lot of failing. I have been luckier in not having been able to tolerate eating the way I used to consistently, so I'm just a few pounds up from my stable weight for a couple of years. I repeat, I see that as lucky, just as I see now that it was lucky that I had such a long time of feeling so vital being compliant. Ah, how nice it would be if there were a little more cultural support, but we have to create our own culture in a lot of ways, if we want to be sane._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 8 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but more fluctuation)
Mar/18 22.2